02–03 September 2025: WRI India Hosts Roundtable on Building a Place-Based approach for thriving city-regions at #ConnectKaro2025
The Thriving Eco City-Regions team hosted a roundtable on Building a Place-Based Approach for Thriving Eco City-Regions at #ConnectKaro2025 held on September 2–3 in New Delhi. The session explored India’s city-regions, focusing on transitioning regions and the power of place-based planning. ECR Team shared a context setting presentation to spotlight process learnings and stories from the ground.
The session discussions highlighted the need to transform cities from users and polluters into regenerative ecosystems through pollution reduction, circular waste systems, and integrated grey–blue–green infrastructure.
Speakers emphasized the importance of peri-urban areas, with over 30% of urban growth happening outside municipal limits, and the need for strong governance to provide safe, serviced land while protecting natural infrastructure.
The roundtable also stressed democratizing data—moving beyond reports to actionable insights, empowering local institutions, and ensuring solutions are rooted in local ecologies and community contexts.
09th September 2025: Thriving Eco City-Regions team presents progress update on Aspirational Cities Programme and Illustrated Handbook for Small Cities in Uttar Pradesh
A comprehensive progress update was presented to Mr. Anuj Kumar Jha, Director, Directorate of Urban Local Bodies (DULB), and the PMU team led by IQVIA. The presentation covered activities undertaken under the Aspirational Cities Programme, upcoming next steps, and the incorporation of feedback received during Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Illustrated Handbook on Best Practices for Urban Services in Small Cities of Uttar Pradesh.
The Aspirational Cities Handbook preparation is anchored by the Government of Uttar Pradesh with support knowledge partners, WRI India as well as leading experts and practitioners across various urban sectors. The scarcity of dedicated codes and standards for small cities, especially those transitioning from rural to urban status, prompted the compilation of this guide. Designed to help improve urban services and amenities, the handbook seeks to enable dignified living conditions, ecological resilience, and inclusive economic growth in smaller cities with populations under one lakh. Being compiled in a visual format and planned to be available in both English and Hindi, it is intended to serve as a practical reference for Chairpersons, Executive Officers, and Urban Local Body functionaries, while also supporting urban professionals, fellows, policymakers, and other stakeholders.
8th September 2025: WRI India submits study on ‘Mapping Peri-urban Areas and Developing a Sustainable Urban Management Framework in Tamil Nadu’
WRI India submitted the final study report on Mapping of Peri-Urban Areas in Tamil Nadu and Development of Sustainable Urban Management Framework for Peri-Urban Areas to the State Planning Commission. The study was commissioned by the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission and aimed to map peri-urban areas and develop a sustainable urban management framework. Using a holistic, sustainability-focused approach, it combined spatial analysis, policy reviews, secondary literature, and stakeholder consultations to understand peri-urban transitions. Growth patterns were mapped using GIS and remote sensing, governance and service gaps were assessed through policy reviews and stakeholder engagement, and findings were validated through a pilot study in Coimbatore. Insights from state and local officials informed a context-specific framework, although analysis was limited by the non-availability of the latest data and administrative boundaries.
Proposals for jointly working with the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission on a white paper for peri-urban governance, aimed at addressing the challenges of areas transitioning from a rural past to an urban future, have been discussed and are being formalized to advance the work to the next stages.
24th September 2025: Thriving Eco City-Regions meet Jalandhar Commissioner to advance Nurpur Pond Rejuvenation project
Neha Lal and Vaibhav Ahuja from the Thriving Eco City-Regions team met the new Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation Jalandhar, IAS Sandeep Rishi, on Thursday, 24th September, and received encouraging feedback to move the Nurpur Pond Rejuvenation project forward. The project that aims to develop a first practice for implementing Nature based solutions in Jalandhar was successfully submitted under the SASCI Scheme 2025–26. Nodal Officers have been appointed, and the project has received approval from the House in anticipation, indicating that the Corporation will fund the initial phase of the project.
Nurpur Pond, located on the periphery of Jalandhar, is a vital peri-urban waterbody with the potential to serve as an ecological refuge, recharge aquifers, and provide shared public space for surrounding communities. Despite its current challenges, the pond’s restoration is envisioned through nature-based solutions that will aid in developing a sponge site, enhance water quality, biodiversity, and community well-being.
15 Sept 2025 September 2025: Thriving Eco City-Regions project working on Storm Water Drainage Plan for Jalandhar
The Thriving Eco City-Regions is currently supporting the Jalandhar Smart City Limited in the preparation of the Storm Water Drainage Plan. The team has received essential data from Jalandhar Smart City Limited to support the same for Jalandhar city. The exercise aims to identify the city’s low-lying zones, delineate catchment areas of existing dedicated stormwater drains, and develop suitable alternatives for unserved areas. These options will be shared with officials for final approval and to secure the go-ahead for the engaged Centre of Excellence to prepare the detailed report. The finalized report is scheduled to be uploaded on the SASCI portal as a prerequisite for the release of a ₹5 crore incentive.
28th September 2025: Neha Lal writes about books that explore India’s rivers and their impact on landscapes, communities, and histories for #WorldRiversDay
For #WorldRiversDay, Neha Lal takes readers on a journey through six remarkable books that explore India’s rivers—from the mighty Indus and Brahmaputra to the lesser-known Betwa. Her blog highlights how these waterways shape ecosystems, communities, and histories, weaving together stories of culture, livelihoods, and environmental change. From personal memoirs to detailed research, these books reveal the intimate connections between people and rivers, showing how rivers influence our cities, our food, our rituals, and our collective future. To read the full blog, click here: https://wri-india.org/perspectives/source-sea-6-books-explore-rivers-across-india